The Association of Service Companies of the Bay of Algeciras (AESBA) has raised its voice regarding what it considers a situation of "administrative abandonment" that directly affects the Port of Algeciras. According to the association, despite the repeated warnings conveyed to the Directorate General of Merchant Marine (DGMM), the main problems affecting daily operations, competitiveness, and maritime safety continue unresolved. AESBA denounces a "prolonged inaction" that is aggravated by the partial closure of the Maritime Captaincy of Algeciras for months.
Among the main claims is the halt of the modification of the Royal Decree 269/2022, a regulation that, according to the sector, prevents numerous professionals from accumulating sea days on auxiliary vessels. This situation puts the generational relief and the continuity of essential services linked to the port at risk.
In addition, there is a lack of implementation of the reduction of the 48-hour notice period for operations outside limits (OPLs), despite the fact that the Regulation on the Organization of Maritime Navigation, in effect since August 2025, allows this flexibility. AESBA warns that this rigidity places Algeciras at a disadvantage compared to other competing ports, generating multi-million economic losses in auxiliary sectors.
Another critical point is the stagnation of the outer anchorage project, an infrastructure considered key to improving maritime safety in the Strait and reducing environmental risks arising from ship congestion. After years of processing, the project still lacks progress or a defined timeline.
However, the most serious situation, according to the association, is the prolonged closure of the Maritime Captaincy of Algeciras, which has not yet fully resumed in-person attention. This situation has forced companies and professionals to travel to Tarifa to carry out procedures, generating extra costs, delays, and loss of efficiency in an already highly competitive environment.
AESBA considers it "incomprehensible" that this situation persists in one of the most trafficked maritime passages in the world, known as the highway of the Strait, and questions the priority that administrations grant to the port of Algeciras.
For all these reasons, the association demands an immediate response from the competent authorities, with concrete measures that allow the unblocking of pending projects and ensure the normal operation of a key infrastructure for the economy of southern Europe. "The time for waiting is over. Algeciras needs decisions, and it needs them now," conclude members of the business collective.
